3ds Max: Time slider
polycounter lvl 14
So I am trying to create some Characters for MUGEN (2D Beat 'em Up creator).
I animate them keyframe whise with each frame being rendered to one Sprite for use in the Game, so I need a lot of keyframes.
While working with a maximum of 100 frames there is a nice distance between the single keyframe-markers (I place one keyframe each frame). Now when I reach a ammount of e.g. 200 Frames it slowly gets hard to select single Keyframes with the mouse due to them being damn close to each other.
I'd need some way to scale the timeline, make it scroll-able or such.
How do you Animators deal with the Timeline of Max?
EDIT: Working with a Biped btw. I just have a look into the motion mixer for the first time.
I animate them keyframe whise with each frame being rendered to one Sprite for use in the Game, so I need a lot of keyframes.
While working with a maximum of 100 frames there is a nice distance between the single keyframe-markers (I place one keyframe each frame). Now when I reach a ammount of e.g. 200 Frames it slowly gets hard to select single Keyframes with the mouse due to them being damn close to each other.
I'd need some way to scale the timeline, make it scroll-able or such.
How do you Animators deal with the Timeline of Max?
EDIT: Working with a Biped btw. I just have a look into the motion mixer for the first time.
Replies
CTRL + ALT + LMB-drag on Time Slider = scale left margin
CTRL + ALT + RMB-drag on Time Slider = scale right margin
CTRL + ALT + MMB-drag on Time Slider = pan left and right
macroScript timeto100f category:"VigTools" toolTip:"Time Slider to 100f" buttonText:"100f" (--sets the active time segment to 100f of the current time slider position local curframe = currenttime as integer /320 local sframe = (curframe - 10) local eframe = (curframe + 90) animationRange = interval sframe eframe )To install:Save the script anywhere, run it once from inside max. Main Menu > MaxScript > Run Script.
It will show up in the Main Menu > Customize > Customize UI > Keyboard tab.
You can also click the toolbar tab and drag it out into the toolbar to get a button.
I personally like 100 frames in the bar, it gives me a pretty consistent scrolling speed without it skipping over a bunch of frames as it tries to keep up. The keys are easier to manage and manipulate.
You can adjust the range and where it puts the slider after it adjusts, by changing two numbers in the script and running it again.
For example if you change:
local sframe = (curframe - 10)
local eframe = (curframe + 90)
to
local sframe = (curframe - 100)
local eframe = (curframe + 100)
It will give you 200 frames in the timeline and put the slider in the center.
If you change it to
local sframe = (curframe - 0)
local eframe = (curframe + 500)
It will give you 500f and put the slider at the beginning.
Working with biped can be a little weird at times there are a few people around here, besides myself, that have good working knowledge of its work flow so don't hesitate to ask if you run into anything.
Thanks Vig, will give it a try